Wednesday’s meeting between President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman has been positively assessed by Nicosia.
Government sources told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) that, despite the “prevailing atmosphere” of recent days, the joint statement issued by the two leaders, which refers to weekly meetings, offers hope for continued engagement.
The Christodoulides-Erhürman meeting lasted almost three hours, with the two leaders spending most of the time in a private discussion.
Government sources said both the length of the meeting and the decision to establish weekly contacts suggest that the discussion was constructive and provide direction for its continuation.
Weekly contacts ahead of key dates
Nicosia’s assessment also takes into account the expected visit of European Council President António Costa on 4 September, as well as the expected arrival of the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, Maria Angela Holguin, next week.
Despite what has been seen as an unfavourable climate in recent days, including developments surrounding festivals in the occupied areas and efforts to cancel them, as well as statements from the Turkish Cypriot side on alleged property usurpation and other issues, the meeting was considered positive.
“The prevailing atmosphere had suggested that we would be heading towards a deadlocked meeting,” government sources told CNA. However, they said the discussion appeared to have been productive and substantive.
Sources also highlighted the importance of the two leaders taking this step, speaking privately for an extended period and agreeing to a specific schedule of weekly contacts.
The upcoming UN General Assembly in New York was also described as a natural time milestone.
Focus on intensive contacts before New York
According to the same sources, Nicosia’s objective is to maintain intensive contacts until the UN General Assembly in New York.
At the same time, they stressed that Turkey’s role in developments cannot be overlooked.
The Christodoulides-Erhürman meeting is therefore viewed by Nicosia as a positive step towards maintaining momentum in contacts between the two sides.
Also read: Christodoulides: Goal is to resume Cyprus talks after 2017 deadlock
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